the country. The central government life after suffering sexual harassment. In the subsequently ordered the Seoul city same month, it was confirmed that a female government to amend its order on the non-commissioned officer attempted suicide; grounds that it was discriminatory to foreign she had been stalked and molested by a nationals. superior in the army. In August, a female In September, migrant workers on Navy chief petty officer, who had complained temporary visas in the lowest income bracket of abuse by a senior colleague, was also were once again excluded from Covid-linked found dead at her base in a suspected exceptional financial support from the suicide. It was alleged that her superiors government. Almost 2 million migrant failed to take adequate steps to protect her workers may have been affected, many of from further abuse by the same perpetrator. whom remained jobless due to Covid-19 restrictions. LGBTI PEOPLE’S RIGHTS GENDER AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION In February, the results of a survey Further parliamentary bills were submitted commissioned by the NHRCK into the with the aim of passing a comprehensive situation faced by transgender people were anti-discrimination act. The proposed law published. They revealed that transgender would include crucial protection against people are “exposed to hatred and discrimination for reasons of sexual discrimination in all places”. The report orientation and gender identity. Existing criticized the lack of laws, institutions and legislation did not protect all groups.1 policies guaranteeing the rights of transgender individuals and called on the WOMEN’S AND GIRLS’ RIGHTS government to establish a comprehensive law Abortion was decriminalized in January banning discrimination. following an earlier Constitutional Court At least three transgender people died in decision which declared the previous circumstances suggesting suicide. Lee Eun- abortion ban unconstitutional. Parliament did yong, a playwright, was found dead in their not take action to revise the abortion law as home on 8 February. The body of Kim Ki- ordered by the Constitutional Court in 2020. hong, a former candidate for the Green Party Several bills remained pending in the and one of two transgender candidates to run National Assembly, including those for office in 2020, was found on 24 February prescribing specific time limits for abortion at their home on Jeju island. Former staff access as well as some calling for full sergeant Byun Hui-su died in March in decriminalization. This prolonged legislative Cheongju, North Chungcheong province. Her vacuum caused confusion among medical death was treated as suicide. Byun Hui-su’s providers. gender reassignment surgery was classified In a landmark ruling on 8 January, the by the military as a “disability”, and she was Central District Court in the capital, Seoul, discharged from the military after requesting ordered the Japanese government to a transfer to the female corps. After her compensate 12 women who had been forced death, a district court ruled in October that into the Japanese military sexual slavery there were “no mental or physical disability system before and during World War II. In a grounds for dismissal” and ordered her separate ruling in April, the district court discharge to be posthumously cancelled. ruling dismissed similar claims brought In a significant decision for transgender 2 against Japan by another group of survivors. rights, a transgender man who had not Gender-based violence continued, as undergone sterilization was granted gender evidenced by several cases of alleged abuse recognition by an appellate court in October. of authority and sexual harassment and The current Supreme Court guidelines on violence in the military. In May, a female gender reassignment include the master sergeant in the Air Force took her own requirement of sterilization. Amnesty International Report 2021/22 336